Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in pet care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Damon Scalfaro,  Owner of Wondurog, located in Denver, CO, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Wondurdog - WONderful DURable DOG products is a dog product company. We specialize in at-home dog wash kits. Wondurdog has a kit for however you choose to wash your pup. You can connect to a shower pipe with our Indoor Dog Wash Kit for Shower, sink faucet with our Sink Faucet Pet Wash Kit, bathtub with our Bathtub Spout Dog Wash Kit, or garden hose with our Dog Wash Garden Hose Nozzle.

Our customers are pet parents who want to find an easy, more efficient, and less stressful way to wash your dog. While also saving money by less trips to the groomer and dog wash shop.

Tell us about yourself

In 2015, my wife and I got our first dog, Deacon – a beautiful Golden Retriever. In addition to becoming part of the family, we discovered he was a lake-loving, ball-chasing, roll-around-in-who-knows-what pup – which we love! But we ALSO love a clean puppy and a clean house! Bath time was stressful and messy and never went well.

Did dirty dog automatically mean dirty house? Most dog parents know the drill. Dog hates the bath. Human hates giving a bath. I tried all the methods out there:

  • The pitcher in the bathtub method: Basically made the house even messier, and Deacon is definitely not a fan.
  • The shower method: Strip down and literally take a shower to wash the dog. Uh, no. And Deacon is even less of a fan.
  • The shower sprayer method: With one hand on the sprayer and one controlling Deacon, I needed a third or maybe a fourth hand to soap and brush the dirt out.
  • The self-service dog wash or groomer: That gets real expensive real fast and very inconvenient.

I thought there had to be a better way.

In 2016 I took a deep dive into all the ways to wash your dog at home. Everything on the market was cheap plastic materials, and I knew I wanted to start by creating a higher-end dog wash kit. I wanted to develop a new way to wash our pups that would be more calming and less messy.

Later that year, I started development on our first Wondurdog product. By winter 2017, I had my first pro-type. The Aha moment was the shower brush and shield. I knew I needed something that combined brushing and washing. I noticed that my dog enjoyed being brushed, but how would I keep water from splashing everywhere?

Back in 2016, I did a home improvement project and added recess lighting to our house. Trying to cut holes in a 1950’s plaster ceiling was a HUGE MESS. Dust was everywhere. I decided to cut a basketball in half and then stuck the circular drill bit through it. With the ½ cut basketball placed against the ceiling and the 4” circular drill bit placed inside it, I was able to cut the holes and keep the plaster dust contained. This same idea is what I wanted for the brush – a “splash shield” to contain the mess when needed.

With the shower brush and splash shield in place, it was time to add the other components. I added an 8-foot anti-rust flexible metal hose, a three-way shower diverter with a hook to hold the brush, and added a suction cup to give another option for storing the hose and brush. All the connection points were metal, substantially reducing fail points. The Wondurdog Indoor Dog Wash Kit for Shower Kit was born. A brush-based dog wash system that dogs love and that gives humans the upper hand in comfort, control, and cleanliness.

This solution was a success. I sold my first unit in March 2018 and quickly developed an outdoor version for the garden hose and a sink faucet version that would connect to any bathroom, kitchen, laundry, or utility room sink. In 2020 we finished the development of our Bathtub Spout Dog Wash Kit. This completed the Wondurdog Dog Wash Kits family of products.

In 2022 we added Wondurdogs' “Fur Foam” dog shampoo. The first dog shampoo that lathers directly from the bottle. Made from oatmeal, coconut, aloe, and cucumber. This hypoallergenic dog shampoo is free of harsh parabens, sulfates, or soaps, Wondurdog Fur Foam is formulated to quickly create a thick, rich lather – making it easier to wash short, medium, and long-haired dogs. Shampoo foams directly from the bottle and washes out easily.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

In June of 2022, we were the golden ticket winner for Walmart's Opencall 2022. Each year Walmart invites a couple of hundred USA manufacturers to pitch their products at the Walmart headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. The Wondurdog Garden Hose Nozzle will be available in Walmart stores in spring 2023.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

The hardest thing is that you don't know what you don't know. In the beginning, I was a one-man band, and I had to teach myself. You learn from your mistakes. Those mistakes are going to cost you time and resources. Hopefully, they are not too big and too costly. Luckily there are resources like YouTube and mentorship programs that will help you find the answers you are looking for.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Go for it! But be smart about it. You have to put the time in. Everyone has great ideas. Teaching yourself how to implement them is where success lives.
  2. Listen. To your customers. To your employees. To your competition. To your gut.
  3. The fun is in the journey. When you are in it, struggling, fighting, making mistakes, it doesn't feel like you are getting anywhere. But when you look back on six months or a year, you understand the progress and feel a sense of accomplishment.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

With every Wondurdog product sold, we donate 10% of our proceeds to The Pet Fund. This national nonprofit helps pet parents who can’t afford veterinarian care get the care they need. To date, we have donated over $12,000 to the charity.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.wondurdog.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wondurdog
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wondurdog/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wondurdog

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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